Galatians 4 · Verse 21

Galatians 4:21

Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Galatians 4:21, King James Version

Galatians 4:21 in other translations

BSBTell me, you who want to be under the law, do you not understand what the law says?
WEBTell me, you that desire to be under the law, don’t you listen to the law?
ASVTell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
YLTTell me, ye who are willing to be under law, the law do ye not hear?
DARBYTell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law?
BBESay, you whose desire it is to be under the law, do you not give ear to the law?
WebsterTell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

What does Galatians 4:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. desire--of your own accord madly courting that which must condemn and ruin you. do ye not hear--do ye not consider the mystic sense of Moses' words? [Grotius]. The law itself sends you away from itself to Christ [Estius]. After having sufficiently maintained his point by argument, the apostle confirms and illustrates it by an inspired allegorical exposition of historical facts, containing in them general laws and types. Perhaps his reason for using allegory was to confute the Judaizers with their own weapons: subtle, mystical, allegorical interpretations, unauthorized by the Spirit, were their favorite arguments, as of the Rabbins in the synagogues. Compare the Jerusalem Talmud [Tractatu Succa, cap. Hechalil]. Paul meets them with an allegorical exposition, not the work of fancy, but sanctioned by the Holy Spirit. History, if properly understood contains in its complicated phenomena, simple and continually recurring divine laws. The history of the elect people, like their legal ordinances, had, besides the literal, a typical meaning (compare 1Co 10:1-4; 15:45, 47; Re 11:8). Just as the extra-ordinarily-born Isaac, the gift of grace according to promise, supplanted, beyond all human calculations, the naturally-born Ishmael, so the new theocratic race, the spiritual seed of Abraham by promise, the Gentile, as well as Jewish believers, were about to take the place of the natural seed, who had imagined that to them exclusively belonged the kingdom of God.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Tell me, etc. In order to show fully the nature and the effect of the law, Paul here introduces an illustration from an important fact in the Jewish history. This allegory has given great perplexity to expositors, and, in some respects, it is attended with real difficulty. An examination of the difficulties will be found in the larger commentaries. My object, without examining the expositions which have been proposed, will be to state, in as few words as possible, the simple meaning and design of the allegory. The design it is not difficult to understand. It is to show the effect of being under the bondage or servitude of the Jewish law, compared with the freedom which the gospel imparts. Paul had addressed the Galatians as having a real desire to be under bondage, or to be servants. Gal 4:9. He had represented Christianity as a state of freedom, and Christians as the sons of God--not servants, but freemen. To show the difference of the two conditions, he appeals to two cases which would furnish a striking illustration of them. The one was the case of Hagar and her son. The effect of bondage was well illustrated there. She and her son were treated with severity, and were cast out and persecuted. This was a fair illustration of bondage under the law; of the servitude to the laws of Moses; and was a fit representation of Jerusalem as it was in the time of Paul. The other case was that of Isaac. He was the son of a free woman, and was treated accordingly. He was regarded as a son--not as a servant. And he was a fair illustration of the case of those who were made free by the gospel. They enjoyed a similar freedom and sonship, and should not seek a state of servitude or bondage. The condition of Isaac was a fit illustration of the New Jerusalem; the heavenly city; the true kingdom of God. But Paul does not mean to say, as I suppose, that the history of the son of Hagar, and of the son of Rebecca, was mere allegory, or that the narrative by Moses was designed to represent the different condition of those who were under the law and under the gospel, He uses it simply as showing the difference between servitude and freedom, and as a striking ILLUSTRATION of the nature of the bondage to the Jewish law, and of the freedom of the gospel, just as any one may use a striking historical fact to illustrate a principle. These general remarks will constitute the basis of my interpretation of this celebrated allegory. The expression "tell me," is one of affectionate remonstrance and reasoning. See Lk 7:42: "Tell me, therefore, which of these will love him most?" Comp. Isa 1:18: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord."

Ye that desire to be under the law. Gal 4:9. You who wish to yield obedience to the laws of Moses. You who maintain that conformity to those laws is necessary to justification.

Do ye not hear the law? Do you not understand what the law says? Will you not listen to its own admonitions, and the instruction which may be derived from the law on the subject? The word "law" here refers not to the commands that were uttered on Mount Sinai, but to the book of the law. The passage to which reference is made is in the book of Genesis; but all the five books of Moses were by the Jews classed under the general name of the law. Lk 24:44. The sense is, "Will you not listen to a narrative found in one of the books of the law itself, fully illustrating the nature of that servitude which you wish?"

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Ye that desire to be under the law - Ye who desire to incorporate the Mosaic institutions with Christianity, and thus bring yourselves into bondage to circumcision, and a great variety of oppressive rites. Do ye not hear the law? - Do ye not understand what is written in the Pentateuch relative to Abraham and his children. It is evident that the word law is used in two senses in this verse. It first means the Mosaic institutions; secondly, the Pentateuch, where the history is recorded to which the apostle refers.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Galatians 4:21-27
The difference between believers who rested in Christ only, and those who trusted in the law, is explained by the histories of Isaac and Ishmael. These things are an allegory, wherein, beside the literal and historical sense of the words, the Spirit of God points out something further. Hagar and Sarah were apt emblems of the two different dispensations of the covenant. The heavenly Jerusalem, the true church from above, represented by Sarah, is in a state of freedom, and is the mother of all believers, who are born of the Holy Spirit. They were by regeneration and true faith, made a part of the true seed of Abraham, according to the promise made to him.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Galatians 4:21 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΛέγετέLegetedo tellG3004
μοι,moime,G3165
οἱhoiyou who [are]G3588
ὑπὸhupounderG5259
νόμονnomon[the] LawG3551
θέλοντεςthelonteswishingG2309
εἶναι,einaito be,G1511
τὸνtontheG3588
νόμονnomonLawG3551
οὐκouknotG3756
ἀκούετε;akoueteyou do listen to?G191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Galatians 4:21

  • Galatians 3:10

    For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

  • Romans 3:19

    Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

  • Matthew 22:29-32

    Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

  • Galatians 3:23-24

    But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

  • Galatians 4:9

    But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

  • John 15:25

    But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

  • Romans 6:14

    For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

  • Romans 7:5-6

    For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

  • Romans 10:3-10

    For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) …

  • John 5:46-47

    For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

  • John 12:34

    The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

  • Matthew 21:42-44

    Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ye that.
9; 3:10,23,24; Ro 6:14; 7:5,6; 9:30-32; 10:3-10
do.
Mt 21:42-44; 22:29-32; Joh 5:46,47
the law.
Joh 10:34; 12:34; 15:25; Ro 3:19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Galatians 4:20

    I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

  • Galatians 4:21

    Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

  • Galatians 4:22

    For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

Read all of Galatians 4

Galatians 4:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Decidme, los que queréis estar debajo de la ley, ¿no habéis oído la ley?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Dites-moi, vous qui voulez être sous la loi, n’écoutez-vous pas la loi?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Saget mir, die ihr unter Gesetz sein wollt, höret ihr das Gesetz nicht?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Dicite mihi qui sub lege vultis esse: legem non legistis?